The present invention relates generally to lockers and, more particularly, to locker retrofit assemblies. The present invention is designed as a replacement for existing locker assemblies, which may include one or more components of a locker. For instance, the present invention may be used to replace existing locker doors, frames, panels, combinations of these locker components, or other locker components.
Lockers for storing clothing, articles of merchandise, etc., are commonly constructed. Storage lockers are found in many different settings. For example, athletic facilities have lockers to allow athletes to store their possessions while participating in athletic events. Community swimming pools typically have lockers for storing street clothes while a person swims. Lockers are also found in industry where they are used for several purposes, such as the storage of equipment, work clothes, chemicals, and other items that are preferably kept in a concealed environment when not in use. Lockers are also commonly found in airports, hospitals, school hallways, prisons, and many other sites too numerous to mention.
Steel sheet metal and metal fasteners are common construction materials used to make locker assemblies. However, metallic lockers suffer from several disadvantages. They are easily damaged or marred such as by dents, scratches, and graffiti. Moreover, metal is subject to damage from rust, odors, delamination, chipping, and fading.
Attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems by wholly replacing these metallic lockers with plastic or wood lockers. Some storage lockers were built into either an existing wall of a building or into a building wall while under construction. These in-wall lockers may be expensive to replace with plastic lockers. These problems prevent many from taking advantage of the properties that plastic offers over steel sheet metal. Consequently, a need exists for a locker retrofit assembly that is designed to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.
The present invention is a locker retrofit assembly. An exemplary embodiment of the locker retrofit assembly may be comprised of a material designed to overcome one or more of the above disadvantages, such as a plastic material. However, it must be understood that any material, not limited to non-metal material, that exhibits the desired structural characteristics may be utilized for the present invention. For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, the locker retrofit assembly of the present invention may be comprised of the same material, e.g., metal, as the existing locker assembly.
In one embodiment of the present invention, existing metallic doors, frames, and panels may be replaced with a plastic locker retrofit assembly. Due to the plastic construction of this embodiment of the retrofit door assembly, the locker face may be more resistant to many forms of abuse that lockers commonly receive. For instance, the locker doors may not dent as will metal lockers. In one embodiment, the locker door of the present invention may also maintain its color throughout its entire cross-section. Due to the homogeneous nature of the plastic door of this embodiment of the assembly, the lockers of the present invention may not delaminate. Furthermore, many materials used in the application of graffiti may be removed from plastic panels to return the locker doors to their original surface appearance. The remaining metallic body of the existing locker system may be substantially hidden behind the face (e.g., the door and frame of the retrofit assembly) and is thus protected. Moreover, the substitution of a plastic retrofit assembly may provide many cosmetic and aesthetically pleasing attributes to the locker system. The retrofit assembly may carry almost any desirable color scheme. Colors may be chosen to match the surrounding decor, to provide a color coding scheme, and/or to provide a medium for an organizational theme.
Additionally, the present invention may provide a retrofit locker assembly which may be assembled off-site. The retrofit assembly may be shipped as one complete part or multiple parts that may be expeditiously attached to the old locker frame on-site. Accordingly, the locker assembly may be manufactured and assembled in a quality controlled factory environment which results in high quality, structurally sound, and consistent assemblies. Accordingly, the locker assemblies of the present invention may be installed on-site in a relatively short time while maintaining structural integrity and consistency.
In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.